Who's Side Are You On
by Tessa Honeybee
Summary: What will it take for Sunstreaker to join the Decepticons? What are the consequences for Sideswipe and Sunstreaker?
1. Chapter 1

"Sunny? Are you awake?" Sideswipe whispered. The other half of Sideswipe's cell was quiet. Sunstreaker didn't move. Sideswipe reached one wheeled foot as far across the cell as he could to nudge at Sunstreaker. His wheel didn't reach Sunstreaker. Sideswipe couldn't stretch out far enough from the wall. His hands were linked together in stasis cuffs and they were suspended above his head by a metal bar sticking out of the wall. He could have lifted his arms farther and taken them off the bar, but as long as his waist was chained to the wall, he was unable to stand up. So Sideswipe stayed pinned up to the wall opposite of Sunstreaker.

Sideswipe wasn't afraid of being a captive. He was bored with the situation actually. Sideswipe was even a little angry with Sunstreaker for falling into recharge shortly after their brutal arrival to the Decepticon ship's brig. Sideswipe groaned, wishing he had someone to talk to. He had not even considered how much Sunstreaker needed his rest after being clubbed in the head upon their arrival. While Sunstreaker's internal healing processors went to work, Sideswipe quietly stared at the dark purple walls of their cell. They were tainted with dents and splatters of dried energon everywhere. Judging by the appearance of the room, Sideswipe could imagine scenarios in his head of how each splatter of energon came to be on the wall. He imagined Decepticons throwing Autobots against the wall, kicking them to the floor, pounding them to scrap metal... Yet Sideswipe still wasn't afraid. He became wearier, the more his imagination ran wild. But he still kept his faith strong in the Autobots. They would come and rescue him and his brother. They would come.

After an hour had passed, Sideswipe found himself dozing off with Sunstreaker. Suddenly heavy footsteps came stomping into the brig. Sideswipe shook himself awake and prepared himself for whoever he might see. Sunstreaker became alert as well. He franticly scanned his surroundings. When his optics met Sideswipe's, he leaned his head back against the wall and groaned at the ceiling.

**"Yeah. We're still here." **Sideswipe confirmed over their private twin bond. The bronze Decepticon wasted no time in coming straight to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. He unlocked the plasma bars from the outside, and came into the cell. Sideswipe trembled under the massive Decepticon's shadow. But not for long. As soon as the Decepticon's shadow cast over Sideswipe, the giant bulky Decepticon changed his route and locked his gaze on Sunstreaker. Sideswipe felt uneasy. He knew Sunstreaker was potentially in danger, but he just couldn't find the words to say to the 'Con that would protect Sunstreaker. There was nothing Sideswipe could do with the 'Cons in control.

"What are you looking at, slag-sucker?" Sunstreaker taunted. The Decepticon showed no emotion and ejected a long energon sword out of his left arm. Sideswipe flinched. But Sunstreaker just continued to stare down the Decepticon. The Decepticon raised his sword over his head. His pose suggested he was about to slice Sunstreaker in half. The sword came down and missed Sunstreaker's chest by an inch. It sliced the chains off Sunstreaker's waist without leaving a scratch on him. Neither twin had time to sigh in relief. The 'Con hoisted Sunstreaker to his feet and unhooked him from the metal bar suspending his arms. The 'Con forced Sunstreaker's arms behind him in the wrong direction. Lucky for him, Autobots were far more flexible than humans.

Sideswipe watched carefully as Sunstreaker was roughly led out of the cell. Sunstreaker didn't look back at Sideswipe or show any resistance to the Decepticon. He walked forward when ordered, and tried not to stare at the energon sword that the 'Con held close to the golden mech's side. As Sunstreaker walked, he refused to look down at the floor. He held back any sign of weakness at all cost. Though Sunstreaker's mind was set on slagging Megatron at the first chance he got, Sideswipe was already starting to lose control. Watching Sunstreaker walk away with an energon sword at his side triggered Sideswipe's fears. He would officially admit that he was afraid. Sideswipe felt afraid of the loneliness and the unknown. Where were they taking Sunstreaker? What could Megatron's intent for keeping them alive possibly be?

The bronze colored Decepticon pushed Sunstreaker along into the ship's med bay (or rather a room that looked like a chop shop to Sunstreaker). The moment he stepped inside, he met optics with a face he hadn't seen in a long time. The Decepticon medic, Doctor Scalpel, met Sunstreaker's gaze and snapped an insult at him in his own twisted language. Then Sunstreaker realized whose shoulder Scalpel was perched on. Megatron himself. The Decepticon behind Sunstreaker shoved him down to his knees in front of Megatron. The Decepticon overlord revealed his fangs in an amused, evil grin.

"All hail Megatron." Megatron mocked his prisoner. Sunstreaker dared to growl at him, before the bronze Decepticon took Sunstreaker by the head, and pulled his head down until Sunstreaker could almost kiss the floor. Even with the large Decepticon holding him down to bow against his will, Sunstreaker's body trembled in an effort to sit straight up. Megatron admired Sunstreaker's perseverance. He took note that Sunstreaker would be a challenge to break... for the first couple of breams! "We're all so pleased to have you here, Autobot." Megatron said. The strain on Sunstreaker's head was lifted, and he slowly sat up to look at Megatron. Sunstreaker still wore a bitter scowl on his face plate.

"Yeah? What's the occasion?" Sunstreaker grunted. The look on Megatron's face gave Sunstreaker the impression that he'd asked the wrong question.

"Two mechs are joining our ranks tonight." Megatron answered. Sunstreaker's tank felt like it was about to flip. He didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't need anybody to tell him something was very wrong. Suddenly Sunstreaker was seized by two Decepticons. They each grabbed an arm, and pulled Sunstreaker up and backwards. Sunstreaker's feet slipped out from under him. The stasis cuffs kept him powerless and stiff in the Decepticons' grasp, but that didn't mean Sunstreaker was going down without a fight. He shouted, kicked, and jerked back and forth. He didn't realize it at first, but the two Decepticons didn't even fight him. They just held onto him and watched him struggle. Megatron was not as entertained as the two Decepticons, and ordered that the Autobot should be contained and muted immediately. As Megatron commanded, Sunstreaker was dragged onto a medical berth and strapped down against it. Scalpel quickly crawled down Megatron's arm and leapt on top of Sunstreaker's head. He tried to shake the doctor off, but Scalpel was too fast. He leapt over Sunstreaker's mouth and threatened in rapid chattering, to melt his mouth shut. "Wait one moment." Megatron said calmly as he scooted Scalpel away from Sunstreaker's mouth. Megatron instantly had Sunstreaker's full attention. "Tell me Autobot. What would you think of devoting yourself to me, as your leader?" Megatron sneered.

"Never." Sunstreaker gasped, feeling the doctor start to pick at him again.

"And what would you say if I told you, putting a Decepticon insignia right there..." Megatron outlined Sunstreaker's Autobot insignia with a single claw. "...is the only way to save your brother?" Megatron finished. Sunstreaker was shocked at the hints Megatron was letting out. He couldn't say anything. "Interesting." Megatron concluded, and stepped away from Sunstreaker's berth. "Proceed Scalpel." Megatron said. The tiny medic leapt back to Sunstroke's face and began sealing his lips together. Sunstreaker shrieked when a flaming tool hit his lips and pressed them together till Sunstreaker's shrieks couldn't be heard anymore.

Sideswipe had been accompanied by a Decepticon guard, who watched him from the other side of the plasma bars since Sunstreaker left. Sideswipe tried to start a conversation with the guard occasionally (which never worked because all he could think to say to the guard were insults). Suddenly Sideswipe's metallic lips felt as if they were pressed to fire. He screeched from the unexpected pain. His head jolted upward. 'Mercy Primus! Please not again!' Sideswipe prayed. He remembered all too well, loosing his sanity to a point of hallucinating living nightmares of a Decepticon femme with fire for hands. Although that episode was only a hallucination, this fire that Sideswipe felt on his lips was very real. Sideswipe yanked down on the bar above his head. He didn't think about breaking the bar or breaking the stasis cuffs. His body was just responding to the natural instinct of putting his hand over his burning mouth. Both bar and stasis cuffs stayed strong and unbent. Sideswipe continued looking upward with his jaw hanging wide open. He tried to inhale cool air. The cell was already uncomfortably cold. The cool air passed Sideswipe's seemingly torched lips, but it made no difference. He tried gently licking the inside of his lips with his glossa, but his lips remained boiling hot. Outside the cell, the Decepticon guard laughed at the sight of Sideswipe panting. Sideswipe turned his head towards the guard, suddenly realizing something.

"What the frag are they doing to him?" Sideswipe gasped. He winced every time his lips met in that sentence. The guard didn't give Sideswipe an answer, and continued staring.

Inside the med bay, Sunstreaker's mouth was sealed shut. But he wasn't completely out of it yet. He still clearly processed everything that was happening around him. His optics followed Scalpel all over his body. Sunstreaker's hate for the doctor grew stronger with every tiny scratch the doctor's servos left on his paint job. Scalpel tightened Sunstreaker's restraints, and deactivated Sunstreaker's arms and legs for good measure, before he began operating. Once he was confident there would be no distractions from Sunstreaker, Scalpel climbed over Sunstreaker's chest. Sunstreaker's first concern was his spark, but that wasn't what Scalpel was after. One servo from the doctor transformed into a long scraping tool. Scalpel stabbed the tool into Sunstreaker's chest deep enough to penetrate the first layer of metal. To Sunstreaker's relief, Scalpel didn't reach his spark. Then the pain really set in. Sunstreaker was shocked with waves of pain from the center of his chest. Scalpel moved the tool up and down and cut a line around Sunstreaker's Autobot insignia like carving a Jack-o-lantern. Sunstreaker tried to scream. He was muted as Megatron commanded. What he really couldn't stand was not being able to move. It was one thing to be tied down, but at least then he could kick under his restraints. In this case, there was absolutely no release for his agony.

Due to stress overload, Sunstreaker fell into stasis. He was completely oblivious to the rest of the operation, but the pain was still transferred to Sideswipe over their twin bond. For hours Sideswipe screamed and thrashed against the wall. First his mouth, then his chest. The jolts of pain were so random; Sideswipe couldn't even guess what was happening to Sunstreaker. The next pain came from Sideswipe's arms. He didn't know it, but at the same moment Scalpel was sawing open Sunstreaker's arms and murdering his combat weapons. After that, Sideswipe suffered through the feeling of his armor plating being ripped from his legs. Which is exactly what was happening to Sunstreaker. But the worst part was when Scalpel attacked Sunstreaker's processor. He literally crawled half way inside his head after drilling a hole in his audio receptor. Scalpel wasn't able to delete any memories. Instead, he locked them away in inaccessible files. Sunstreaker's whole identity was simply blocked. And it would stay blocked until Sunstreaker could recall on his own, who he was. Once Scalpel blocked Sunstreaker's identity, he installed a silver Decepticon insignia over the gap in Sunstreaker's chest. If Sustreaker couldn't recognize himself on the outside, there would be no chance of him recognizing himself on the inside.

As Sunstreaker's reprogramming took place, Sideswipe couldn't think straight. He felt like he was in a hazy dream. He kept banging his head against the wall, trying to break free from the trance he was in. Finally Sunstreaker's ordeal hit Sideswipe one more time. Scalpel moved back to Sunstreaker's processor. He had been informed of the discoveries Flatline, another Decepticon medic, had made with a different set of twins on Cybertron. With that knowledge, Scalpel was able to close off the twin bond between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker's end of the bond and all knowledge of having a twin was also stowed away in inaccessible files. Sideswipe didn't feel any physical pain. It was mental pain that made him panic. Sideswipe felt shocked when Sunstreaker's presence suddenly disappeared from him. Not only was Sunstreaker not responding to Sideswipe's desperate calls, but now he was nonexistent to Sideswipe. The feeling of loosing Sunstreaker into thin air like that was too much. Sideswipe had always felt Sunstreaker beside him since the day they came online. This was the first time the twins were completely separated. Sideswipe couldn't take it.

**"SUNNY! SUNNNNNYY!" **Sideswipe cried. Sunstreaker gave no response. Then Sideswipe really lost it. He threw himself back against the wall with a loud thud and screamed for all he was worth. "SUNSTREAKER! _SUNSTREAKER!_" Sideswipe carried on like that for ten minutes, constantly calling for his brother. Eventually he gave up and was still. He bowed his head and coughed out a defeated cry. "Sunny..."

By morning, Sunstreaker was a new mech. His golden armor had all been replaced with shining black armor. He had all new weapons installed, and of course his silver Decepticon insignia was new too. Megatron observed the recharging mech, and gazed at his new red optics which were dimmed due to recharging. Megatron nodded approvingly.

"He will make an excellent Decepticon." Megatron hissed.


	2. Chapter 2

Sideswipe didn't look up when the plasma bars disappeared. He didn't flinch when his chains were pulled against his sides and broken. The Decepticon to have entered the cell scratched three claws across Sideswipe's face to get a reaction out of him. Sideswipe yelped and jerked his head away. The Decepticon handled Sideswipe the exact same way Sunstreaker was handled the night before. Sideswipe's cuffed arms were twisted behind him, and a weapon of the Decepticon's choice was threatening him from behind. This Decepticon held cannon against Sideswipe's back, which terrified Sideswipe. His legs stiffened up and refused to move. He slipped backwards in a panic. The Decepticon threw him against the wall and moved his cannon to Sideswipe's head. He would not tolerate any disobedience; no matter how strongly Megatron ordered both twins be kept alive.

"I could kill you if I wanted to." The Decepticon threatened in a raspy and aged voice. "You don't even realize how lucky you are. Lord Megatron has allowed you to live this long... and has even permitted you to see your brother." Sideswipe cautiously turned his head and looked to the Decepticon in disbelief. His optics pleaded to know the truth. "He's right this way." The Decepticon shoved Sideswipe in the back and brought him to the floor. Sideswipe scrambled back on his wheels again and regained his balance before he could be knocked down a second time. He was grabbed by the shoulder and pushed towards the cell's open exit. The cannon resumed its place against Sideswipe's lower back. It was awkward for Sideswipe to maneuver with the Decepticon and his cannon leading him from behind. He could hardly move in the same manner as the Decepticon, simply because the Decepticon walked on peds and Sideswipe skated on wheels. Though Sideswipe was clearly having difficulty stomping on his wheels, the Decepticon kept his grip on Sideswipe's shoulder, and _encouraged_ Sideswipe with a cannon to his back to keep walking.

They went in the opposite direction Sunstreaker was taken. Sideswipe's 'tour' of the Nemesis seemed to be going at a very slow pace. He was sure that he'd seen every hall, every door, and every major feature of the ship except personal quarters and the med bay. Sideswipe began to wonder if his 'guide' really knew where he was going. Suddenly a door swung open next to Sideswipe as if on command. Without warning, the Decepticon's cannon lifted from Sideswipe's back, transformed into an iron fist, and slugged Sideswipe in the head. Sideswipe acted on instinct and fled through the open door. He couldn't have been met with a more surprising sight. Megatron stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Sideswipe. Sideswipe was once again caught off guard when the Decepticon who lead him from the cell, came behind him again, and kicked at his left wheel. Sideswipe skated forward a few paces till he realized Megatron was waiting for him to make the first move.

_"Where... is he?" _Sideswipe started. He took a few more strides towards Megatron.

"Take a look for yourself." Megatron said, pointing one claw at a huge monitor screen along the wall. Sideswipe turned his head. He didn't see much at first. He saw Starscream in what looked like the Decepticons' training hall. As Starscream battled his opponent he constantly dodged attacks from sliding floor panels, energon seeking missals, and moving barriers. Surprisingly, the obstacles were no challenge for Starscream, even without using his flight mode. Sideswipe would have been impressed with Starscream's ground based fighting, if he weren't getting his aft kicked by his opponent!

He was a mech Sideswipe had never seen before. The stranger's armor was slick and shined like it was brand new. But the stranger sure didn't fight like he was brand new. The mech was agile and wasted no time on his attacks. His bruit strength seemed to be his best quality, the way he flipped Starscream onto his back like a rag doll. Sideswipe stared more intently at the new Decepticon. Something about his fighting style didn't seem right. He didn't just beat Starscream to slag. He disabled every single one of Starscream's blows, and directed them back at Starscream. Something about the stranger's face was also very familiar. Then he turned his head at just the right angle. Sideswipe identified that face immediately.

"Sunst-"

"Darkstreaker." Megatron interrupted. Sideswipe jumped when he remembered that he and Megatron were in the same room. Megatron stood beside Sideswipe looking satisfied. "His designation is Darkstreaker. As far as he knows he has been my apprentice since he was a sparkling. This special training will help him remember his place as a Decepticon. He will remember who he serves in time." Megatron explained. Sideswipe wanted to scream, but his voice wouldn't come to him. They were manipulating Sunstreaker and lying to him to create the perfect Decepticon. Sideswipe had heard of good mechs converting to the Decepticon side against their will. But he never imagined it happening like this.

"Sunstreaker... will never let you use him! He's too headstrong for that! And he knows better! He'll always be an Autobot because he knows you'll_ NEVER _amount to Optimus Prime!" Sideswipe shouted. Megatron's claws shot for Sideswipe's neck. Sideswipe's neck trembled in Megatron's grasp. He tried to pull back, but Megatron's other hand clamped down on Sideswipe's chest. He could choose to pull out Sideswipe's spark at any moment.

"There are no brothers here. Only myself and those who serve as my army. Others are eliminated." Megatron tightened his grip on Sideswipe. "With enough encouragement, Darkstreaker will recognize the role I have given him. And with no distractions, such as Optimus Prime... or _you, _Darkstreaker will be confident with his new identity in time." Sideswipe cringed. Megatron sneered. "Speaking of new roles, I understand that you are one of the Autobots' best front liners." Sideswipe groaned at Megatron drawing out the obvious. "Have you ever considered becoming a spy?" Megatron shoved Sideswipe back and made him slip off his wheels. He landed on his rear and was on his back in seconds as Megatron's foot slammed him into the floor. Sideswipe's arms felt the worst impact since they were still locked behind him. Sideswipe grunted, feeling his arms get crushed under his own weight.

Like Sunstreaker, Sideswipe blocked out everything once he caught sight of the Decepticon medic, Doctor Scalpel. The Doctor crawled out of the shadows and scurried straight to Sideswipe's head. Sideswipe put all of his strength into sitting up and pushing Megatron's foot off of him. But Megatron only forced down harder. Scalpel leapt onto Sideswipe's head and transformed one servo into a long drill. Pain struck and tore through Sideswipe in the center of the forehead. He screamed and secretly prayed for the slightest chance that an ally might hear him. Sideswipe's cries went unanswered. Scalpel triggered Sideswipe's stasis mode and crawled farther into Sideswipe's processor once Sideswipe was out cold.

Meanwhile, the video footage of Sunstreaker a.k.a Darkstreaker, still played on screen. The new Decepticon was completely oblivious of Sideswipe and continued to advance in his training.

Sideswipe didn't wake up easily. The first instant of onlining was filled with stinging pain in his spark. Sideswipe's head jerked up and his optics flared with blue light. He grasped the long tube penetrating his open spark chamber. Sideswipe would have yanked the tube from his spark out of instinct, if Ratchet's unmistakable voice hadn't stopped him.

"Let go of that machine, or you'll be as lifeless as it is!" Ratchet barked. Despite the pain, Sideswipe lowered his hand back down by his side, and laid still. Reality slowly came back to him. Ratchet and the rest of his sterile clean med bay came into view. "You could have offlined yourself, scraphead. That life support has been pumping your energon for eight hours straight." Ratchet scolded. Sideswipe just met Ratchet's gaze with a miserable face.

"How did you find me?" He quivered. Ratchet pulled up a stool next to Sideswipe's medical berth. Sideswipe got the hint he was in for a long talk.

"They let you go." Ratchet said. Sideswipe's optics lit up with surprise. Ratchet was sure Sideswipe was about to ask 'why?', but no Autobot had an answer for that question. So Ratchet continued before Sideswipe could ask. "They left you out in the open in the Kalahari desert, luckily away from humans. Megatron sent Prime an encoded message that gave your approximate location."

"They wanted me to be found?" Sideswipe asked. Ratchet simply nodded. Something told Sideswipe that Ratchet was holding something back. Sideswipe would have asked, but his thoughts were interrupted when Cybertronian text suddenly flashed in front of his optics. Ratchet clearly did not see the text or detect it. Sideswipe began to read the message hastily.

**Autobot Sideswipe,**

**Let me be the first to welcome you home. The last time we met face to face, I suggested you taking a new position as a spy. Now that is officially your function. Although, you may find yourself spying for a different faction than the first one you swore loyalty to.**

Sideswipe paused from reading when a painful shock hit his processor. The electric shock made his whole body jump. Sideswipe could faintly hear Ratchet say something to him with alarm, but Sideswipe's attention was attracted to an image appearing attached to the message. Sideswipe was horrifically reminded of what Sunstreaker had been rebuilt into as he stared into the red optics of Darkstreaker. The Cybertronian text flashed over Darkstreaker's face, and the image changed to a small Decepticon insignia shaped device which was plugged into some wires. Sideswipe continued to read over the text.

**This device within your processor will aid in the spying and will keep your objectives clear in sight. Your mission, as my optics on the inside, is to receive information about your surroundings and every last detail of the Autobots. There will be a few rules to maintain yours and your brother's safety. As far as the Autobots know, Sunstreaker is dead. So you will not tell them otherwise. Remember, I have a visual of every action you make. Any form of defiance will result in excruciating pain. Whether you or Darkstreaker receives it... just might depend on my mood. I hope I have made myself clear.**

**All hail Megatron!**

Another shock rocked Sideswipe, this one much worse than the first. Sideswipe finally focused back in on Ratchet, who was franticly pressing down on Sideswipe's chest and causing it to pump energon faster. After a few seconds, Sideswipe's optics flashed again and he stopped shaking.

"Sideswipe! What the frag was that?" Sideswipe shook his head and drew in air through his intakes calmly.

"I was just... remembering." He suddenly decided to change the subject. He had to do this for Sunstreaker. Sideswipe faced Ratchet and became still. "Ratchet, you don't have to 'eat around the bush' anymore." Sideswipe said slowly, hoping he was using the human expression correctly. "I know what happened to Sunstreaker. I can't feel him anymore in my spark." Sideswipe sobbed. Of course he wasn't nearly as upset as he let Ratchet believe. But he had to keep Darkstreaker a secret if he was to save Sunstreaker. Sideswipe continued sobbing and even screaming. Ratchet laid a comforting hand over Sideswipe's shoulder. Sideswipe hated doing this, but lying seemed like the only option. After all, he was specifically commanded to leave everyone to assume Sunstreaker was dead... or else. Sideswipe decided to get a little dramatic. "I watched the light in his optics go out!" Sideswipe cried. "My spark was throbbing like Pit! I thought I was gonna die too!"

"I know." Ratchet soothed. "It was a natural response for his spark to reach out so desperately to yours. Usually both twins' lives are taken if one offlines. You were very brave in staying here." Sideswipe was quiet. He decided that was convincing enough. Now that he confirmed Sunstreaker's death to Ratchet, he had to find out how he could rescue Sunstreaker on his own without Megatron or the Autobots suspecting anything. While he was at it, he also had to keep his optics clear of anything on base that might be of use to Megatron. So where could he start?

"My spark hurts." Sideswipe whined. Ratchet stood up and sighed.

"It will hurt until your spark can survive on its own." That was a surprise to Sideswipe. He knew Sunstreaker was still alive. His spark hadn't gone to Primus. Yet Sunstreaker's spark stopped supporting his, and that was why Ratchet's device had to keep feeding Sideswipe's spark energon. As long as Sunstreaker was unaware of having a twin, his spark was in a way disconnected from Sideswipe's. For once, the twins' split sparks didn't have the other half to rely on. Sideswipe could only imagine what Sunstreaker was going through with his half of their split spark struggling.

Aboard the Nemesis, Sunstreaker was getting the worst beating out of the two of them. While Sideswipe and his spark recovered slowly in Ratchet's med bay, Sunstreaker never had the chance to stop and rest. From the moment he was given the designation Darkstreaker, the Decepticons threw him into combat training. The new Decepticon fought well and did as he was told (with a couple complaints and Decepticon insults once or twice. He was still Sunstreaker deep down inside after all, and he still didn't tolerate orders very well if they didn't work for his agenda). Just as Megatron showed Sideswipe, Sunstreaker was still a top fighter even with half a spark. But what he didn't get the chance to see was how rapidly Sunstreaker's strength was failing him.

"Rise up and fight, Darkstreaker!" Megatron bellowed. Sunstreaker didn't even look up at his master, and continued to writhe in pain on the floor with his fist held tight over his spark. Many Decepticons observed from afar. They all watched Darkstreaker, who they all knew very well as Sunstreaker, with curiosity. One moment the new arrival was kicking aft. Then his optics slowly lost focus. Next, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared down at his shaking hands. His head began to spin and he appeared to be deaf to all of Megatron's commands. The next moment, Sunstreaker looked up one last time, and finally collapsed.

After a few minutes of Megatron shouting at him, Sunstreaker snapped.

"Frag! It hurts!" Sunstreaker shot an evil look at Megatron. "My spark is _killing_ me! I... can't... fight!" Megatron stomped over to Sunstreaker's curled up body and kicked Sunstreaker in the back. He kicked with enough force to flip Sunstreaker onto his front side. Sunstreaker screamed in surprise and pain. He lifted his head and desperately pleaded to Megatron. "Mercy Master!" Megatron chuckled. It wasn't every day he heard an Autobot say that. Then again, Sunstreaker didn't even know he was an Autobot. Megatron grabbed Sunstreaker by his chin and jaw plating, and roughly brought Sunstreaker's face closer to his.

"I have tried to teach you again, everything you have forgotten since your 'fatal upgrade'." Megatron lied. "This lesson, I can teach you. But I cannot force you to learn it. If you are to survive in my army, then you must learn this lesson by example. Like everyone else has." Sunstreaker didn't have time to ask what this important lesson was. Megatron suddenly let go of Sunstreaker's face, grabbed him by the head, and slammed Sunstreaker's face into the floor. With his face to the floor, Sunstreaker didn't dare look up. Megatron walked around Sunstreaker and admired the gash in the middle of his back where he kicked Sunstreaker. He placed his foot over the gash and leaned over Sunstreaker. "This is your first injury on your new armor. Remember it." With that Megatron kicked once again, and forced a brief yelp out of his victim.

When Megatron was gone, two Decepticons aided Sunstreaker and carried him to his own recharge quarters (But only because they were ordered to). While on his berth, Sunstreaker tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position that would satisfy his throbbing spark. With everything he tried the pain got worse. Sunstreaker's spark aches became so extreme, that Sunstreaker rolled off his berth, curled up on the cool floor, and just screamed. He cried for Primus to save him. He hollered for someone to help him. But no one came. Megatron was hardly Sunstreaker's teacher anymore. Suffering alone affected Sunstreaker in a way Megatron couldn't. If suffering alone was Sunstreaker's teacher, then Megatron's lesson was taught.

'Every mech for himself.' Sunstreaker realized while staring back at Darkstreaker's reflection on his sleek black armor.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Sideswipe dragged himself out of the med bay as quickly as he could without Ratchet noticing. It didn't matter how tired he was. Sideswipe had to get off base before he exposed all the Autobots' classified secrets to Megatron's spy cam. Sideswipe was surprised to see that every human he drove by, tried to look away from him. He wondered if they were ordered to give him space, on the count of Sunstreaker purposively being dead. Sideswipe appreciated that they were trying to show respect in letting him be alone. After all, it aided in his escape off the base. Sideswipe assumed he didn't have patrol duty, and knew no one was going to stop him from leaving.

But just when he was on his way out, his tires screeched to a halt at NEST's check point area. Some humans gave him a few looks. Sideswipe wheeled out as fast as he could, back in the direction he came. It was too risky to leave the base with Megatron watching his every move. Megatron could easily retrace Sideswipe's tracks, and he would have an exact location on the Autobot base. That is, if Megatron didn't already know where Sideswipe was. Sideswipe had no way of knowing just how much Megatron had already figured out. Was the spy cam. activated when Sideswipe first onlined in the med bay? Or was it tracing Sideswipe's signal long before that? The tasks were piling up in Sideswipe's head. '_Don't look at anything, don't say anything, get off base, find Sunstreaker. No. Stay on base, don't look at anything, don't say anything, find Sunstreaker. Stay on base. Oh slag.'_

Sideswipe found his way back to his quarters without going by the energon storage room, the training hall, or the base network's main hardrive. 'Stick that in your tailpipe, Megs.' Sideswipe secretly taunted. He felt so proud of himself for keeping the important features of NEST out of Megatron's optical range. Sideswipe would never betray the Autobots, especially not Optimus Prime. For now he didn't see any harm in telling a few white lies. After all he was still a loyal Autobot, and incase he did have to lie to Optimus, it would be for a good reason. For his and Sunstreaker's protection.

Sideswipe sat down on his berth and glanced at the locked door. Once he was sure he was safe, he laid on his back and relaxed. He tried to clear his mind the best he could to think of a way out of the deep Pit he was sinking into. He ran the facts through his processor again. 'Sunstreaker's been reprogrammed and thinks he's a Decepticon. Megatron's had him under his wing for... twelve hours. Primus knows what they've done to him. Megatron's got his optics on me and intends to use every piece of intel. he sees through my optics to use for his own needs. Which is no good for us. And if I retaliate he shocks me or punishes Sunstreaker.' Sideswipe's imagination was getting the best of him the more he thought about Sunstreaker. 'Sunstreaker'll be ripped apart. Even if Darkstreaker is Megatron's new favorite, he's still the new mech on the ship. Those 'Cons have to be torturing him right now, regardless if I screw up or not.'

For hours Sideswipe tossed and turned on his berth, trying to find some solution. He first decided that there were three things getting in the way of him rescuing Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker's location, Megatron's spy cam inside his processor, and the watchful optics of Optimus Prime. Three times Optimus Prime came to Sideswipe's quarters during the day to check up on him. The first time, Sideswipe let him in and they talked for a few minutes (though Sideswipe didn't have much to say about himself or Sunstreaker). The second time, Sideswipe didn't open the door right away and let Optimus stay for an even shorter time. The third time, Sideswipe didn't open the door or respond to Prime. That didn't stop Optimus Prime. It took him only half a second to override the lock on the door and come charging into Sideswipe's room. Sideswipe curiously watched Optimus Prime's frightened expression as his optics franticly searched Sideswipe's berth. The fright in Prime's optics immediately died the second he spotted Sideswipe in Sunstreaker's berth.

"Am I on suicide watch now?" Sideswipe asked bluntly. Optimus slumped his shoulders.

"I was concerned when you didn't answer me." Optimus said. Sideswipe snarled at him and rolled over on the berth to face the wall. He didn't really mean to give his highly respected leader the cold shoulder. Sideswipe was hardly irritated by Optimus. What Prime didn't realize was that it was Megatron's trap on the twins that made Sideswipe so agitated. "How are you feeling?" Optimus asked sympathetically. He sat down on the edge of the berth. Sideswipe leaned closer into the wall and didn't look up at him. Optimus could tell Sideswipe wasn't acting right. Even for losing his twin, Optimus expected Sideswipe to act differently than he was now. If it were Sunstreaker lying before him, Optimus would understand Sunstreaker's boundaries and wouldn't check up on him so much. But Optimus Prime assumed that Sideswipe would _want_ more attention and emotional support from the Autobots. Instead he secluded himself like Sunstreaker generally would do to cope. "What's wrong Sideswipe?" Optimus asked gently. But Sideswipe still didn't speak. "Tell me." Optimus tried again.

"I _can't _tell you!" Sideswipe said firmly. Optimus Prime observed Sideswipe's optics again. They still refused to look up. That gave Optimus an idea. He put his hand on Sideswipe's shoulder.

"Dim your optics Sideswipe." Optimus Prime soothed. Sideswipe obeyed and dimmed his optics till he could see nothing but darkness. A few astroseconds later, Optimus Prime's hand on Sideswipe's shoulder lifted and rested two digits over his shoulder. Sideswipe's face lit up with a wide grin. He mouthed the words _'Thank you' _the moment he recognized the Cybertronian letters Optimus wrote down Sideswipe's arm. Finally he could spill the truth without Megatron harming him or his brother.

**_-Tell me what troubles you Sideswipe.-_**Optimus Prime wrote in Autobot text. Sideswipe responded by tracing letters along the berth, knowing that Optimus Prime could see them.

**_-I lied to Ratchet. I didn't watch Sunstreaker offline. My brother is alive.- _**Sideswipe started. Then he wrote out everything he saw happen to Sunstreaker, a.k.a Darkstreaker. It was a lot to write and it felt like so much more than it really was, because Sideswipe couldn't actually see his hand. He paused after every other sentence or so. Optimus Prime would tap his shoulder once to show he understood, and Sideswipe would continue. When Sideswipe was finished explaining Megatron's intentions with the spy cam. Sideswipe's hand flinched and then went limp. His helm hid deeper into the corner of the berth, and a sorrowful whimper escaped him. Optimus Prime put his hand over Sideswipe's spark chamber as a gesture of comfort (a gesture could even be compared to a hug). Optimus felt awful about the twins' ordeal. He even felt guilty. After all it was his own brother who trained Sunstreaker to be his warrior and bribed Sideswipe into being his slave.

**_-Do not fear. Sunstreaker is a valiant warrior. Megatron may give him the paint coating of a Decepticon, but he cannot change what is in Sunstreaker's spark. I believe Sunstreaker will always be an Autobot.-_**Optimus Prime wrote over Sideswipe's arm again.

**_-He doesn't remember being an Autobot. He believes he's always been Megatron's second in command.-_**Sideswipe's face plate twisted and became more distressed looking.

"Be at peace Sideswipe." Optimus Prime whispered out loud. He spoke those choice words because he knew there was no harm in Megatron hearing that. Optimus repeated the line quieter and watched Sideswipe's face plate relax. "Be at peace Sideswipe." Optimus wrote one last message. **_-Wait till after I have gone, to bring your optics fully online again. Recharge well. The day is almost over.-_ **Sideswipe silently nodded. **_-I promise you we will find Sunstreaker.-_**Optimus Prime stood up and walked out of Sideswipe's room. Sideswipe did as he was told and didn't look around until he was sure Optimus Prime was gone. When he rolled over to face the door, he found an energon cube where Optimus previously sat. Sideswipe grabbed it and chugged down the energon thankfully. It didn't take long after that for Sideswipe to settle back down on Sunstreaker's berth and fall into well deserved recharge.

Meanwhile, a very jealous seeker stood in the shadows of the Nemesis. He watched Darkstreaker and Megatron stand side by side with envy. Not only was he unable to obtain leadership of the Decepticons, but now he wasn't even good enough for second in command. Starscream sulked away; his wings twitching with agitation. He of all mechs knew Darkstreaker's incredible strength. Regardless of how strong Darkstreaker was, Starscream would not tolerate an ex-Autobot taking away his high authority. "Obviously if Megatron offers the same position to two mechs, someone has to go." Starscream said to himself. He turned his back on the two. Still the figure of Megatron and the new 'Con showed in a reflection on the wall. Starscream angrily clawed Darkstreaker's reflection. "Its not going to be me!" he growled.

Whether Sunstreaker knew who he was or not, he did know one thing for sure. He hated Starscream. According to Megatron, Darkstreaker still had a lot to learn and 'remember' before he went off the ship on his own. During Sunstreaker's extended training, Starscream seemed to constantly get in his way. What was worse was Starscream's constant talking. He would hover over Sunstreaker's shoulder, and announce everything he was doing wrong. Then Starscream wouldn't necessarily tell Sunstreaker the right way, but he would phrase it as _'This is what I would do'. _Sunstreaker grew tired of Starscream very quickly. When he couldn't bear to listen to Starscream anymore, Sunstreaker stopped in mid step right in the middle of his training obstacle. Laser lights darted around the room and then locked on Sunstreaker's still body. Megatron, who observed from a balcony overhead, eyed Sunstreaker's sudden halt suspiciously. Starscream was first to react.

"No! No! No! What in Pit is that?" Starscream shouted. All optics were on him, as he made his way onto Sunstreaker's training field. The moment Starscream stepped onto the format, Sunstreaker grinned and glanced up at Megatron. Starscream, unaware of the plan that was unfolding, stood next to the seemingly petrified former Autobot. "If you were in real combat with Autobots, you'd be offlined before you could say..." Sunstreaker didn't let Starscream finish. In a blur, Sunstreaker pounced over Starscream's shoulders. The lasers caught Sunstreaker's spark moving again and launched missals at him. Just as Sunstreaker had planned, he was too quick for the missals, and Starscream wasn't. Starscream squealed and fell flat on his back when he took the hit to his shoulders and upper chest. "That was supposed to be simulated ammo!" he cried to Megatron. Sunstreaker scowled at Starscream.

"You learn faster with the real stuff." Sunstreaker growled. "Simulated ammo won't teach you anything." Then Sunstreaker made the biggest impact on all the Decepticons. Every 'Con was stunned as they watched Sunstreaker dip the tip of his foot in Starscream's leaking energon. He slowly drew a ring of leaked energon around Starscream's head. The Decepticons recognized the death threat. The Fallen once made the same gesture with the spilt energon of Prima. All of the Decepticon audience seemed to quiver, except Megatron. Sunstreaker lifted his foot and stepped away from Starscream. Then he looked to Megatron. Megatron gave an approving fanged smile. Starscream saw Sunstreaker's game play out before his optics. He had used Starscream to show off a cunning deception, and his willingness to please his master. The look on Megatron's face said it all. Starscream really was replaced. With Megatron's permission, Sunstreaker left for an energon cube. Ashamed and humiliated, Starscream picked himself up and flew off in the opposite direction.

"You really pulled off some trick out there." A Decepticon commented Sunstreaker in the mess hall. Sunstreaker looked over his shoulder to see a mech he could almost consider a friend. He grinned slyly back at Skycut, a flyer who helped him out on his first day. Sunstreaker didn't like Skycut much, but he trusted him to know Skycut would have his back in a fight.

"It was all for show. I would never murder anyone in the most gruesome way possible. One, its too messy. Two, I'm not that kind of mech."

"Well then you ought to be careful about what you do and say around here. What you did is nothing to joke about." Skycut stepped between Sunstreaker and the energon dispenser. He put his arms behind his back, and filled two cubes without looking. Sunstreaker cocked his head to the side to watch. His attention was brought back to Skycut when he handed Sunstreaker a cube. Sunstreaker half smiled and took the cube. Both mechs threw their heads back to drink. Suddenly Sunstreaker threw himself to the floor and coughed up all the energon he tried to swallow. Skycut jumped back and watched Sunstreaker violently purge his energon.

"What... is that?" Sunstreaker gasped.

"High grade. What else?" Skycut said casually. Sunstreaker gazed up and Skycut turned away from the mess running out of Sunstreaker's mouth.

"Don't you have normal energon here? Maybe even mid grade?" Sunstreaker requested. He rubbed his tanks with one hand, and began to feel sick again. "Or low grade?" he begged.

"Low grade? What are you, a sparkling?" Skycut laughed. Sunstreaker crawled to the wall and pulled himself up.

"I don't think my tanks can take that high grade." He said weakly. "Can't you get me anything besides high grade? Please?"

"Sorry mech. If your going to be one of us again, you gotta drink like us again." Skycut kept smiling.

"Do you think the Autobots did this to me?" Skycut was caught off guard for a moment. He recovered by giving Sunstreaker a confident nod. He wondered how many of Megatron's lies the crew would have to live off of until Sunstreaker was totally convinced he was a Decepticon. Skycut stepped around Sunstreaker and grabbed both his and Sunstreaker's high grade cubes. He stared at Sunstreaker when he took Sunstreaker's cube. 'Well if you're not going to finish this...' Skycut's look seemed to say. As he walked away, Sunstreaker called for him desperately. "Hey! Come back here! I need help getting to the med bay."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Skycut taunted. "And I wouldn't worry about the doc. if I were you. He'll probably just send you out with more high grade and tell you to suck it up." Skycut continued on his way, and left Sunstreaker still feeling nauseated. Sunstreaker clinged to the wall and stumbled back to his room. When he was finally safe inside his own quarters, Sunstreaker was glad to lie back on his own berth. He tried to relax and lose the sick urge to purge again. 'Some friend.' Sunstreaker thought. 'Face it, Darkstreaker. You're still on your own. Every mech for himself.'

If he had known his true identity, he would have recognized the cube of high grade right away. If he could remember, he would have thought of the first time he tried high grade. Ratchet had to drain and sanitize his tanks, after what could loosely be described as an 'allergic reaction' to high grade. If he could only recall those memories, he wouldn't have made the mistake again.

A noise from outside attracted Sunstreaker's attention. At that instant, Starscream came barging into the room. Sunstreaker sprang to his feet and forgot his high grade sickness completely. He bared his weapons.

"What do you want?" Sunstreaker growled. Starscream made no move to defend himself.

"A challenge." Starscream hissed.

"For you?"

"No. For you, really. You see, Megatron may have appointed you as second in command, but you are unqualified."

"You can judge that _after _I remember my place and duties on this ship. Now get out!"

"Well as far as I see it, Megatron should have some trust in his second in command. Right?" Starscream stepped farther into the room. "So why is it that he doesn't trust you to leave the ship, I wonder?" Sunstreaker pondered the invitation Starscream was slowly unfolding. He decided to take his chances with this game.

"What's the challenge?"

"Seek out the Autobots' base, infiltrate it, and bring back the head of an Autobot. If you can complete this without Megatron's assistance or anyone else's, I will back down and let you be Megatron's first lieutenant. But if you fail, I retake my former position and you do work with your own kind. The good for nothing scrap piles." Sunstreaker's fist clenched. He took the hint that Starscream was calling him lower than a scrap drone (when in fact, Starscream was referring to the Autobots).

"You're pathetic hardly worth my time! I'll accept if this'll get you off my back."

"Excellent."

That night, Sunstreaker sky dived out of the ship without anyone noticing but Starscream. Starscream was sure he hit it off this time. Sunstreaker was on his way to the Autobot base to destroy an Autobot. He followed the signal of Decepticon spy tech, which was coincidentally attached to Sideswipe. His own brother would surely be the first Autobot Sunstreaker would see. Starscream chuckled, imagining the chaos of the twins meeting again. The best part of course was the fact that Sunstreaker still didn't know he was an Autobot. On second thought, the best part for Starscream was returning to second in command, and stepping up that much closer to first in command. What ever the outcome may be for the twins, Starscream didn't care. They could reprogram Sunstreaker, or end up destroying him. All Starscream was concerned about was being the ultimate Decepticon ruler. With Megatron's ultimate warrior on the run, the goal was once again in sight.


	4. Chapter 4

Ordinarily, a Decepticon intruder would have been detected the moment he stepped within a hundred miles of NEST. But for some reason Darkstreaker instinctively knew every trick to sneak inside. He took a long detour around the human guards at the check point and gate. Every once in a while his processor would glitch and a warning would flash in his processor. Sunstreaker would backtrack until the warning went away. He soon discovered the warnings were leading him off road to a well used dirt path. The daylight was long gone and Sunstreaker only had a signal off a Decepticon trinket to follow. Yet he felt as if he already knew where he was going. His instincts were already leading the way into the Autobot base. He knew it wasn't the best strategy to rely on what he thought he knew, but it seemed to be working.

The back road took Sunstreaker down into a crater. In the far side of the crater was a massive garage door. Sunstreaker transformed and scanned the area for surveillance cameras. None were active in the area at the moment. Sunstreaker smiled. 'Too easy.' he thought. As Sunstreaker approached the garage door, his first instinct was to break through it. His processor suddenly glitched again. It was like a shock of white light. The next thing Sunstreaker knew, he had somehow found some sort of keypad installed inside the Earth. His fingers absent mindedly tapped on the rock formation and made green Cybertronian symbols flash on the rock. Suddenly the garage door clicked and slowly opened upward. Sunstreaker watched in amazement. 'Did I really just do that?' he wondered. Then the signal he'd been tracking caught his attention. It started to move. Sunstreaker charged into the darkness of what appeared to be the Autobots' basement. (It would later be converted into a certain inventor's lab). Once again Sunstreaker was relying more on his instincts than the signal Starscream gave him. He raced through the corridors as if he knew the place. Sunstreaker ran faster and became less concerned about stealth, the closer he came to his moving target.

On that same floor, Sideswipe wandered, feeling his way in the dark. He didn't bother enhancing his vision or turning on any lights. It was another trick against Megatron. Sideswipe knew the base well enough to find his way anywhere in the dark. Megatron did not. So Sideswipe took advantage of the darkness and took a stroll through the base without anyone seeing his actions. There was nothing to do since all the Autobots were either recharging, or off base on a late night patrol. But Sideswipe didn't mind. He needed to get out of his room for a while and feel completely alone. It helped him think better, knowing Megatron couldn't see through his optics.

Sideswipe entered the Autobots' rec. room. He easily skated around the metallic horseshoe shaped couch in front of the monitor screen. Sideswipe plopped down next to the couch in a recliner designed for the Autobots. At first he just stared at the wall. Then he squirmed and fidgeted in his seat until his back was in the seat of the chair, and his legs and head were lying on the chair's arms. He still didn't feel comfortable. He looked up at the dull grey ceiling. Then he had an idea. 'Stars.' That would help him figure out what to do. Stargazing was almost like a relaxing ritual for the twins when they were younglings on Cybertron. 'Sunstreaker's probably looking at the stars right now too. 'Cons probably already formatted him into a seeker.' Sideswipe thought bitterly. He was about to get up and leave, when a light came on in the hallway. The back of Sideswipe's chair faced the door, so Sideswipe could only see the stranger's shadow.

The moment the shadow caught Sideswipe's attention, he couldn't believe his optics. Sideswipe even wondered if he was going crazy. The mech was coming closer, but Sideswipe didn't bother looking up. He was too distracted by the stranger's shadow. To Sideswipe's amazement, the stranger's shadow looked exactly like Sideswipe's other than two distinguishing features. Clearly, the stranger's movements proved he was walking instead of skating on wheels like Sideswipe did. But what really hit home for him was the wide, pointed, fin-like audio receptors on the shadow.

"Sunstreaker?" Sideswipe whispered. There was a moment of dead silence. Without warning, Sideswipe's chair suddenly flipped over and Sideswipe toppled over onto his back. The dark outline of the mech and his glowing red optics was all he caught before the mech picked the chair up again and threw it down at Sideswipe's chest. Sideswipe rolled on his side just in time to avoid most of the impact. Both blades shot out from Sideswipe's arms to defend himself. He knocked the chair out of the mech's hands and prepared to stab his blades straight through his spark. But the mech grabbed Sideswipe's arms and crossed them over his chest, held his arms down and reached through a small indent over the top of Sideswipe's chest. Sideswipe screeched at the uncomfortable sensation of the mech digging through him. In a few seconds, Sideswipe felt completely numb. Just as he feared, the mech figured out how to offline his mobility circuits. Sideswipe tried to force them back online and make just the slightest movement. But his efforts failed.

Sideswipe looked up at his attacker's face (at least he could still move his optics) and still only saw a black outlining with red optics. If Sideswipe could move his hand, he would have face palmed. His optics still weren't adjusted to the dark. Sideswipe enhanced his vision and brightened his optics. Whether Megatron had a visual or not didn't really matter to him at the moment. When his optics came into focus, Sideswipe immediately identified the mech as his brother. Sunstreaker recognized the look of sudden fear in Sideswipe's optics. The look made him smile. Sunstreaker leaned down closer over Sideswipe's paralyzed body.

Meanwhile on the Nemesis...

"Lord Megatron. Darkstreaker has been located off the ship!" one Decepticon reported. Megatron looked at him. He didn't need to be told what to do. The Decepticon instantly turned back to his station and brought up the view of their spy cam. inside Sideswipe's processor. Megatron clenched his fists once he realized Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were together again. His plans for his ultimate warrior were ruined. Sunstreaker would surely be reprogrammed by the Autobots in a matter of days, maybe sooner. Or there was another option. Seeing that Sunstreaker was about to kill Sideswipe, Megatron still had a little hope for the situation. If Sunstreaker killed Sideswipe, he would likely die as well with his twin. That would be two less Autobots on the enemy's side. Megatron calmed himself and approached the monitor.

"Record this." Megatron ordered the Decepticon at his side.

Back at NEST...

"Suns-s-streaker?" Sideswipe stampered. Sunstreaker was obviously ignoring him when he lifted one of Sideswipe's limp arms off his chest. Sideswipe dared to ask the question. "What are ya gonna do... ah!" Sideswipe gasped as his own arm blade was jabbed up against the crook of his neck. "Easy Sunny. You remember me, don't you?" Sideswipe asked as calmly as he could. 'He hates that nickname.' Sideswipe assured himself. 'That's gotta bring him back to his old self.'

"Quiet 'Bot!" Sunstreaker snarled. Sideswipe gulped. 'Plan B!' Instantly, he called Optimus Prime for help over com. links. Now he just had to distract Sunstreaker long enough before he got his head sliced off.

"You don't have to do this! I mean... _why_ are you doing this? You're no Decepticon." Sideswipe hoped he said the right thing. Soon enough, Sunstreaker moved the blade away from Sideswipe's neck.

"I am the greatest Decepticon warrior under Megatron's command!" Sunstreaker barked.

"Then what's Megatron doing, sending his greatest warrior to offline one Autobot like me for?" Sideswipe questioned. Sunstreaker slowly started moving Sideswipe's blade back to his throat.

"Lord Megatron did not send me. Starscream did!" Sunstreaker laughed. "It was a bet. A competition over the post of second in command. And when I return with your head in hand, no one will ever question my power and strength again! Not Lord Megatron! Not Starscream!" Just then, all the lights in the room flashed on, and Optimus Prime came running in with three other Autobots running behind him. Sunstreaker jumped off of Sideswipe and readied his guns. Sideswipe watched Sunstreaker from the floor (he still couldn't move).

"Release him, Darkstreaker!" Optimus Prime warned. His guns also formed out of his arms, but he didn't intend to fire. Sunstreaker's processor glitched again, and white light flashed across his optics. He stepped back nervously. Then he recovered, and knelt down beside Sideswipe. At first it appeared that he was surrendering. Sunstreaker showed his true intentions to Prime when he grabbed Sideswipe's arm again and pulled his blade into his neck. Sideswipe yelped. His arm blade caught on his neck this time and Sideswipe's energon spilled in a few drops.

"I'll release him!" Sunstreaker shouted, sounding like he'd gone mad. "You can have the rest of the body! I only came for the head!" Suddenly Ratchet ran in from behind Sunstreaker, grabbed him, and hauled him away from Sideswipe. Sunstreaker kicked and thrashed, but it was no use. It didn't take long for Ratchet to pin Sunstreaker against the wall and lock his arms in stasis cuffs. Finally Sunstreaker's tantrums died down long enough for Ratchet to hold him still and inject a sedative. Sunstreaker fell like a rag doll in Ratchet's arms instantly. Ratchet set Sunstreaker down on the floor gently. He was about to move to fix Sideswipe, but Optimus Prime and Jolt already had Sideswipe standing up on his wheels again. Bumblebee also stood close by, hoping Sideswipe was okay. The Autobots parted away so Ratchet could examine Sideswipe's neck.

"We were almost worried about you for a moment." Ratchet joked. Sideswipe weakly smiled.

"I'm sorry I lied to you. See Sunstreaker..." Sideswipe began.

"We already know. Prime told us everything within the hour you told him." Ratchet explained as he tipped Sideswipe's chin up a little higher. Sideswipe looked towards Optimus Prime. He felt betrayed because of Optimus exposing Sideswipe's secret. But at the same time he was thankful. Sideswipe tensed up when he felt the heat of a small blowtorch mechanism under his chin. Apparently Sunstreaker cut Sideswipe up more than Sideswipe first imagined. Now here was Ratchet, merging metal back together under extreme heat. (A procedure Sideswipe would only trust Ratchet to do.)

Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron had seen enough. He moved to the controls of the spy cam. and tampered with it as a dying last resort. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker for the most part had escaped the Decepticons. There was only one use left for Sideswipe. Seeing what Megatron was programming the spy cam. to do, a Decepticon looked at Megatron strangely.

"I shall deal with Starscream later." Megatron explained. "Right now our spy has not kept his word... and someone has to pay."

"AAHHHHHH! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Sideswipe howled in agony. The last few seconds were all a blur. One moment he was fine, and the next he was lying on the floor with both hands on his head, screaming his vocals out. His helm felt like it was getting stabbed at and burned from the inside out. It took Sideswipe a while to get out of that stage of panic. Soon he could completely comprehend that he was on the floor, and he could identify the concerned faces of the Autobots around him. Sideswipe could faintly make out some words they were saying to him. No matter how hard Sideswipe tried, he couldn't tell them what was wrong. He knew all too well that the pain in his head had to be Megatron's trick. Sideswipe started to lose sense of reality again. A hand patted Sideswipe's face in an attempt to keep him awake.

The pain was getting worse. Desperately, Sideswipe focused on Optimus Prime's arm, forcefully grabbed it, and repetitively swatted the back of his head with his other arm. Ratchet caught on and nudged Sideswipe's head forward. Everything Sideswipe saw, quickly faded to black. Later while Sideswipe recovered in the med bay, Sideswipe had absolutely no memories of the Decepticon tech being extracted. His processor had to block out some extremely painful memories in order to protect Sideswipe. When Sideswipe came around completely, he saw Ratchet sitting near his medical berth. Ratchet noticed he was awake and was about to ask if he needed anything. Sideswipe answered the question before it was asked.

"Sunstreaker!"

"Sideswipe, lay back down." Ratchet coaxed. Sideswipe froze in his half up right position. He didn't lay on his back again like he'd been asked. But he kept his legs hanging slightly off the edge of the berth, prepared to bolt out of the med bay as soon as he knew where Sunstreaker was.

"You have to take me to him now!" Sideswipe pleaded. Ratchet put a hand on Sideswipe's shoulder.

"Sunstreaker is still recharging."

"I promise I won't wake him. I just need to see him. Just to know he's not hurt." Ratchet gave Sideswipe a blank look. "He_ is _hurt, isn't he? How bad is it? What did they do to him?" Sideswipe's voice rose with panic.

"No Sideswipe." Ratchet answered quickly. "Sunstreaker is not in any pain. His wounds are already treated, and healing well."

"What wounds?" Sideswipe asked warily. Ratchet's hand slipped off Sideswipe's shoulder. Ratchet sighed. "Tell me." Sideswipe said impatiently. Ratchet finally complied.

"The contents of his tanks show that the Decepticons... gave him high grade." Ratchet admitted. Sideswipe clenched his fist and pounded it into the berth. Ratchet hadn't seen the usually laid back twin get so angry so fast, in a long time.

"FRAGGING 'CONS!" Sideswipe swore. His optics flared with a lust for vengeance. Ratchet understood Sideswipe's anger. He too was there the last time Sunstreaker became deadly sick from high grade. Sideswipe panted for several minutes, trying to blow off steam.

"There were also many dents in his back side." Ratchet continued when Sideswipe was close to calming down. Sideswipe looked directly at Ratchet, and was met with the same blank stare as before. Sideswipe sat up all the way and brought his knees closer to his chest. His mood changed completely as he mysteriously stared down Ratchet.

"What aren't you telling me?" Sideswipe questioned. Ratchet was clearly caught off guard, but he knew what Sideswipe was asking for.

"Physically... Sunstreaker will make a full recovery. But what troubles me is Sunstreaker's mental state. While we were containing him inside the brig, there was an incident."

"You put him in the brig?" Sideswipe interrupted.

"It was the safest place we could keep him. Now..." Ratchet said.

"And you 'contained' him. What's that supposed to mean? Is that just a nicer way of saying 'we put him in chains'?" Sideswipe snapped.

"Sideswipe!" Ratchet barked. Sideswipe bowed his head and muted. "As I was saying, while he was inside the brig, the sedative wore off and he came back online. Before I could explain, Sunstreaker glitched and rammed himself into the cell door." Sideswipe cringed. The brig's cell doors were made of an electric energon force field. He could imagine Sunstreaker repetitively running into the force field, and getting the spark shocked out of him.

"He didn't give up easily, did he?" Sideswipe moaned.

"In his struggle to break out, Sunstreaker nearly gave himself burns from the electric energon. If I hadn't sedated him again, he would have caused much more self damage. My point is Sideswipe, Sunstreaker is now aware of where he is and he believes he is being held prisoner. The moment he wakes again, we must be prepared to take action, or have him cured before an incident like this happens again. That is why I can't allow you to see him. We can't risk anything like the last time you and Sunstreaker encountered. Right now, Sunstreaker is more than willing to offline any Autobot he sees. I'm sorry, but I can't let you see him until it is safe for both of you." Ratchet explained. Sideswipe settled back down on the berth.

"So I'm just supposed to stay here and wait for you to figure out what's wrong with him?" Sideswipe whined.

"If you're thinking you're useless in this situation, you are mistaken." Ratchet stated. "I need you to keep trying to open yours and Sunstreaker's bond."

"It won't work. He can't hear me." Sideswipe groaned.

"Try again until it does work. In the meantime, I'll see what we can do to restore Sunstreaker."

Later that morning while Sideswipe was lounging around in the rec. room (coincidentally in the same place Sunstreaker attacked him the night before), Ratchet called Sideswipe to the brig. At first, Sideswipe transformed faster than lightning and raced down to the brig. But then when he was at the brig's door, the truth hit him. Ratchet obviously wasn't calling him because of good news. Otherwise, Ratchet would have said Sunstreaker was back. Sideswipe cautiously scooted into through the doorway. Three cells glowed neon pink/orange from their secure electric energon doors. The fourth cell in the back right corner of the room caught Sideswipe's attention first. The door was down and only the edges of the cell walls glowed. Sideswipe could hear mechs' hushed voices coming from inside the fourth cell.

"Come in Sideswipe." Ratchet called. Sideswipe focused in and did as he was told. Sideswipe's spark was pounding with every stride he took towards the cell. What would he see when he looked inside? Sideswipe took a peek. He saw Sunstreaker lying on his front side, using his arms as a pillow. Ratchet knelt by Sunstreaker's helm. Jolt crouched by Sunstreaker's right side (the opposite side of Sunstreaker, Sideswipe was on). Sideswipe slowly got to his knees beside Sunstreaker. "Have you been able to communicate with him?" Ratchet asked. Sideswipe shook his head.

"No." Ratchet changed the subject.

"None of Sunstreaker's memory banks are damaged as we presumed. All of Sunstreaker's memories of his real life however, have been locked away in inaccessible files. Which is why he must have taken so well to Megatron's demands. The reason we need you, is because Sunstreaker's memories can only be restored if a specific code is given to open the locked memory files. Or one memory that will bring all memory banks back into place. You know him best Sideswipe. You're the only one who can figure out that access code." Sideswipe looked at Ratchet like he was crazy. Then he bowed his head and sighed.

"I don't know anything about my memory bank access code, or his." Sideswipe admitted. "But I think I know what can work." Ratchet gestured towards Sunstreaker's helm, and moved for Sideswipe. Sideswipe situated himself on the floor lying right next to Sunstreaker. Sideswipe gently rubbed Sunstreaker's helm and neck, and began to sing a Cybertronian lullaby.

**_"Brother. When you're with me, I am happy.  
Brother. When you're sad, it makes me cry.  
Brother. When you're lonely, I will stay a while.  
Brother. When you're happy, you always  
Make...me...smile."_**

The cell was dead silent. Sunstreaker didn't move or even acknowledge Sideswipe's other half of the bond. Sideswipe buried his face into his brother's neck.

"Please don't give up! Please! You're no Decepticon! You're better than that! You're my brother, and I love you! I love you Sunny!" Sideswipe sobbed. Suddenly Sunstreaker's arm came alive and clubbed Sideswipe in the back. Both twins lifted their heads and looked at each other, optic to optic. Sunstreaker was scowling and his red optics didn't make Sideswipe feel any more comfortable. Jolt was about to react, when Ratchet gave him the look to stop. Sunstreaker kept his optics locked on Sideswipe.

"I told you..." Sunstreaker growled. "..that song is for sparklings!" Sideswipe couldn't hold back any longer. He let out a cry of relief and leaned into Sunstreaker, dying for his brother's comfort. At the time, Sunstreaker was still very disoriented and wasn't even sure why Sideswipe was nearly in tears. So he let Sideswipe lie against him and soak up the waves of comfort radiating from Sunstreaker's end of the bond. While Sideswipe was going hysterical, Sunstreaker drowsily scanned his surroundings. He caught sight of Ratchet kneeling in front of him. Sunstreaker didn't understand why at the moment, but he knew when Ratchet looked at the twins, he was proud of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Ratchet and Jolt waited a few minutes before interrupting Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's reunion. Sideswipe flinched when Jolt reached for his left arm to pull him up off the floor. Ratchet supported Sunstreaker and pulled him up. Sunstreaker studied Ratchet's hand on his arm. His dazed expression was priceless. Ratchet had a feeling Sunstreaker's clear awareness was fading, the longer he went without Sideswipe talking to him. Ratchet had to chuckle at Sunstreaker as he swatted at Ratchet's hand like some foreign object. Ratchet took his hand off Sunstreaker's arm.

"How do you feel, Sunstreaker?" Ratchet asked. Sunstreaker perked up his head at the sound of his name. Ratchet was relieved to see the quick reaction. He was assured now that Sunstreaker no longer referred to himself as Darkstreaker. Sunstreaker was about to say something, when he took a double take at where Ratchet's hand used to be on Sunstreaker's arm. He gasped, lifted up both arms, and stared at them in with sudden terror in his optics.

"What's wrong, bro?" Sideswipe questioned. Sunstreaker shook his head.

"What is... _this?_" Sunstreaker stuttered, motioning with his arms. "Wh-at d-did you do?" Sideswipe looked closer. Then Sideswipe got it, and burst out laughing. He grinned at Ratchet.

"Its his paint!" Sideswipe laughed. Ratchet could see it now as Sunstreaker franticly felt all over his arms, searching for any trace of gold. Ratchet smiled and patted Sunstreaker on the back.

"Come along you two." Ratchet said. He lead the way with Sunstreaker hanging on by his shoulder. Sideswipe stayed close to Jolt in case he needed a medic as much as Sunstreaker did. The last four or five days had been so stressful on Sideswipe. After the huge relief of Sunstreaker coming back, Sideswipe felt completely overwhelmed, and now he was exhausted. It was a comfort to know another trusted medic was at his side, and Ratchet had Sunstreaker taken care of. Ratchet took Sunstreaker back to his and Sideswipe's room. Sunstreaker, who was already half in recharge mode, gladly laid down on a berth without question. Sideswipe left to find Optimus Prime soon after.

"I won't be gone long." Sideswipe told Sunstreaker from the doorway. Sunstreaker onlined his optics for just a moment to look at Sideswipe, before dozing off again. Sideswipe got the hint that Sunstreaker recognized his brother's voice, but didn't comprehend a word Sideswipe said. Sideswipe just shrugged and rolled out. He found Optimus Prime standing outside his office, with Annabelle Lennox in his hand. Sideswipe wondered how long Annabelle had kept Prime occupied from his work with her never ending questions (_this time_).

"Can I interrupt?" Sideswipe asked from behind Optimus. Optimus glanced over his shoulder, looking almost relieved. Sideswipe knew the feeling. 'A mech can only take so much pink-princess-and-fluffy-puppy-talk from that girl.' Sideswipe thought. Optimus Prime let Annabelle down to the floor and watched her happily run off. Optimus Prime turned to face Sideswipe. Optimus noticed Sideswipe's content expression. His spark lifted at the sight. Sideswipe folded his arms and prepared to explain. "I got Sunstreaker back." Sideswipe sighed.

"Ratchet has informed me; and I am glad to hear you and your brother are safe together." Optimus Prime answered.

"I really wanted to thank you, Prime. I can't imagine all the things Megatron could have made me do... or could have done to Sunstreaker and I if you hadn't helped me spill the truth." Sideswipe thanked.

"You're welcome Sideswipe. Just remember I'm always here to listen whenever you need help." Sideswipe just stood there in amazement. He'd never heard his leader speak more comforting words directly towards him. "Shouldn't you be attending to your brother?" Optimus hinted. Sideswipe got the feeling he was staring too much. He took a second to salute Optimus Prime, before he left. When Sideswipe opened the door to his and Sunstreaker's room, the sight of his brother caught him completely off guard. Sunstreaker was golden again. He laid his golden frame out on his berth (in sort of a vain supermodel pose on his side), with blue optics anxiously awaiting Sideswipe's return.

"Like it?" Sunstreaker boasted. Sideswipe grinned. Then he caught sight of the evidence. Golden paint cans were open in the corner of the room, and Sunstreaker still had a silver Decepticon insignia labeling his chest. Sideswipe wondered how Sunstreaker could wear the Decepticon insignia so shamelessly. 'Its only for one more day.' Sideswipe thought, knowing Ratchet would make him a new insignia ASAP. Besides that, Sunstreaker was still an Autobot on the inside. Just like Optimus told Sideswipe, Megatron couldn't change Sunstreaker's spark.

"That's the Sunstreaker I know." Sideswipe commented. Sunstreaker sat up and Sideswipe joined him on the berth. Sideswipe put one arm across Sunstreaker's shoulders and hugged him. "I missed you." Sideswipe whispered. Sunstreaker pushed Sideswipe's arm off of him as soon as he could, and rolled his optics at his brother. Sideswipe's mood suddenly changed. He sprang off the berth and started for the door. "Hey! Why don't we go see Sergeant Briggs? He probably still thinks you're dead or a Decepticon still." Sideswipe suggested happily. Sunstreaker got up to follow Sideswipe.

"Sure. But you know what I don't get?"

"What?"

"As my memory banks recall, I was sent by Starscream to slice your head off."

"Yes, from what I understood, that was your task. A task in which you came so close to completing." Sideswipe bluntly remarked. Sunstreaker knew exactly what Sideswipe meant to say: 'Great job, Sunshine! You almost killed me!'

"Well first of all, I'm sorry." Sunstreaker continued.

"Sorry for what?" Sideswipe sneered.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you! There. I said it." Sunstreaker elbowed Sideswipe. Sideswipe laughed. He didn't know why, but the whole situation seemed kind of funny now. Sideswipe remembered all the times he made Sunstreaker steaming mad and said 'Okay. I know this looks bad now, but we're gonna laugh about this someday.' right before Sunstreaker clobbered him. This was the time to laugh about it. Sunstreaker's transforming brought Sideswipe out of his memories. Sideswipe transformed too and the twins carried on their conversation through there once again shared bond.

**"And second, what's gonna happen to Starscream?" **Sunstreaker wondered.

**"What are you talking about?"**

**"You know. Starscream obviously sent me back here on purpose. What do you think'll happen to him when Megatron figures it out?"**

**"Like we care! Starscream can get thrown into the 'Con ship's engine, and torn to pieces. I wouldn't give slag. Why should you? You remember which side you're on, right Sunstreaker?" **Sideswipe teased.

**"Shut up." **Sunstreaker laughed. **"Sides! Wait a minute!" **Sunstreaker suddenly exclaimed. Both twins slammed on their breaks.

**"What is it?" **Sideswipe asked.

**"We gotta pull a prank first!" **Sunstreaker blurted.

**"Right now?"**

**"Yeah. C'mon Sideswipe. You and me. Think of it as my welcome home present." **Sunstreaker said quickly as he took a turn for the med bay.

_Later that day aboard the Nemesis..._

"Lord Megatron. Once again the search for Darkstreaker has come up empty handed. But I assure you, we're doubling our efforts." Starscream announced with a fake smile on his face. (The expression he was hiding was a smile much wider; for he knew Darkstreaker's fate.)

"You can spare me your lies, Starscream." That was all Megatron needed to stop Starscream in his tracks. Without hesitation, Megatron found the recording of the twins the night before, and broadcasted it all over the ship. Starscream gasped as he heard the echo of the twins' voices.

"Suns-s-streaker? What are ya gonna do... ah! Easy Sunny. You remember me, don't you?"

"Quiet 'Bot!"

"You don't have to do this! I mean... _why_ are you doing this? You're no Decepticon."

"I am the greatest Decepticon warrior under Megatron's command!"

"Then what's Megatron doing, sending his greatest warrior to offline one Autobot like me for?"

"Lord Megatron did not send me. Starscream did! It was a bet. A competition over the post of second in command. And when I return with your head in hand, no one will ever question my power and strength again! Not Lord Megatron! Not Starscream!"

Megatron turned the recording off and without warning, tore his claws across Starscream's face. Next, he kicked Starscream in the gut and sent him rolling backwards onto the floor. Starscream tried to crawl away once the room stopped spinning, but Megatron's foot was already crushing down on Starscream's chest.

"You're going to need a miracle to save you!" Megatron growled. Just then, something came up on screen. In fact it was on every screen on the ship. The screen appeared black for a moment with a single white dot in the middle. Then two voices chimed in. The Decepticons wouldn't know this, but the two voices were singing along to the tune of the 20th Century Fox theme. As they sang, the white dot grew larger.

"Da da da! Da da da da da da! Da da da da dum da da da! (Na na na na!) Dum di da! (Na na na na!) Dum di da! (Na na na na!) DA DA DA DA!" By the end of the song, the white dot had grown into the shape of the Autobot insignia taking up the whole screen. The insignia flashed off the screen and revealed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker sitting together. Starscream's jaw dropped once he realized how quickly they fixed Sunstreaker. Megatron was also taken off guard, seeing the golden Sunstreaker again and took a few steps away from Starscream to get a better look. What he didn't see though, was the silver Decepticon symbol on Sunstreaker's chest. (Sunstreaker put a couple pieces of duct tape over it for his close up.)

"Here's to the idiot who let Sunstreaker get away." Sideswipe jeered with a huge smile.

"We appreciate it Screamer! So thank you once again for aiding the Autobots in another one of your great and dreadful screw ups!" Sunstreaker spoke like a flight attendant with a grin as big as Sideswipe's.

"Great for us. Dreadful for you." Sideswipe translated.

"And we still hate you!" Sunstreaker laughed, getting really close to their 'camera'.

"A lot!" Sideswipe shouted, pushing Sunstreaker out of the way so he could stay in the shot. The twins adjusted themselves and pushed around so they had equal space on screen again. Sideswipe put his hand over his spark and put on a sad puppy face. "Like we said, we deeply deeply deeply appreciate your stupidity!" Sideswipe partially leaned off screen for a moment to stifle his laugh.

"That's our show for today. Let's hear a word from our sponsors." Sunstreaker said while pulling Sideswipe back into view.

"Try to track this signal and this will happen!" Sideswipe threatened. At that moment, the whole Nemesis went dark except for the screen Megatron still watched. The twins' image faded for a moment, and then flashed back. Both twins were waving.

"Have a nice day, Slag-with-wings." Sunstreaker said casually.

"And happy landing!" Sideswipe put in, right before the signal died. Megatron lurched forward as the entire ship took a nosedive for the ground. The master alarm came back on. At the speed the ship was falling, Megatron knew there was no time to asses all the problems the twins' virus encoded message had caused. He turned around. Starscream was already gone. There was nothing left to do, but brace for impact. If anyone was going to get the blame for this, it was definitely going to be Starscream.

_Back at NEST..._

For the second time, Ratchet crushed the Decepticon spy cam. in his hand. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both watched.

"I hope that was worth the effort to repair that bug." Ratchet groaned.

"Of course it was. Virus shut down their entire power supply all at once." Sunstreaker explained.

"You sent a transmission and a virus through a one way cam. recorder. How did you know how to reverse the technology?" Ratchet asked Sunstreaker.

"Just something I learned from being a Decepticon." Sunstreaker answered.

As soon as Sunstreaker was given a new Autobot insignia, the twins had overstayed their welcome in the med bay, and were kicked out by Ratchet. Apparently they had also overstayed their welcome on Ratchet's good side (for the day). Once again the twins talked about going to see their friend Sergeant Briggs, and yet another distraction came up. While outside looking for Sergeant Briggs, Sunstreaker pulled over and parked slowly. Sideswipe followed the motion to see what Sunstreaker was doing.

**"Sides?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"I gotta know. Did you ever give up on me?"**

**"This morning I thought I lost you. Other than those few seconds of doubt, I never gave up."**

That was enough for Sunstreaker. He started his engine again and played loud Cybertronian music out the radio. (Few records of music were actually saved during the destruction of Cybertron. The twins were some of the few who still possessed original music composed on Cybertron.) Sideswipe drove after him and harmonized with Sunstreaker's music, using another original melody. That was how the twins were meant to be. Together, harmonizing, synchronizing.

**"It's great to have you back, Sunstreaker."**


End file.
